6 B-24s and 4 B-17s drop
leaflets in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium during the night.

Acft T/O

Aborts

Over Pri

Over Sec

Over L/R

Bomb Load

Scoring

Losses

30

3

27

-

-

324x500lb GP

Excellent

-

Group Mission # 174

THURSDAY, 5 OCTOBER 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF
OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):

General Order 507 implements the
decision of 15 Sep to assign staff officers of HQ VIII Fighter Command to HQ
Eighth AF to represent units in administrative functions, thus eliminating the
administrative and operational control from HQ VIII Fighter Command and placing
it under HQ Eighth AF; this is necessitated by the transfer of fighter groups
to Bombardment Divisions. 2 missions are flown:

8
of 10 bombers drop leaflets in France, the Netherlands and Germany during the
night.

Acft T/O

Aborts

Over Pri

Over Sec

Over L/R

Bomb Load

Scoring

Losses

30

13

17

-

-

204x500lb GP

Very Good

-

Group Mission # 175

FRIDAY, 6 OCTOBER 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF
OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):

2 missions are flown.

Mission 667:

1,271 bombers and 784 fighter
are dispatched to hit industrial targets in N Germany; with one exception, all
attacks are visual; 19 bombers and 4 fighters are lost:

447 B-17s are dispatched to hit
Stargard Airfield (199), aircraft factories at Neubrandenburg (73) and Stettin
(12); targets of opportunity are Stralsund (110), Kappeln (36), Freienwalde (1)
and other (1); 1 B-17 is lost and 34 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. Escort is
provided by 180 of 202 P-51s; they claim 3-1-3 aircraft in the air and 30-0-14
on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA), 2 damaged beyond repair and 4
damaged.

418 B-17s are dispatched to
Berlin to hit a munitions dump at Berlin/Spandau (144), aircraft factories at
Berlin/Spandau (138) and tank factory at Berlin/Tegel (100); 10 hit a target of
opportunity. 17 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 234 damaged; 3
airmen are KIA, 4 WIA and 154 MIA. Escort is provided by 363 of 414 P-51s; they
claim 15-0-5 aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost and 3 damaged.

6
B-24s and 4 B-17s drop leaflets in Germany, the Netherlands and France during
the night without loss.

Acft T/O

Aborts

Over Pri

Over Sec

Over L/R

Bomb Load

Scoring

Losses

30

1

29

-

-

348x500lb GP

Very Good

-

Group Mission # 176

SATURDAY, 7 OCTOBER 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF
OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):

Mission 669:

1,422 bombers and 900 fighters
are dispatched to hit oil installations and armored vehicle plants in Germany;
with one exception, bombing is visual; 40 bombers and 11 fighters are lost:

142 of 149 B-17s hit the oil
refinery at Politz; 17 B-17s are lost and 106 damaged; 2 airmen are KIA, 17 WIA
and 171 MIA. Escort is provided by 93 of 108 P-51s; they claim 7-0-3 aircraft;
1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).

333 B-17s are dispatched to hit
the oil refinery at Ruhland (59); targets of opportunity hit are Zwickau
Airfield (60), motor vehicle factory at Zwickau (58), Dresden (30), Freiburg
(24) and other (87); 3 B-17s are lost and 172 damaged. Escort is provided by
214 of 256 P-51s; they claim 12-0-0 aircraft in the air and 1-0-1 on the
ground; 4 P-51s are lost (pilots MIA), 1 damaged beyond repair and 1 damaged; 1
pilot is WIA.

360 of 384 B-24s hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Koblenz; 1 hit a target of opportunity; 1 B-24 is lost, 3
damaged beyond repair and 17 damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 10 MIA. Escort is
provided by 271 of 295 P-51s; they claim 1-0-0 aircraft in the air and 1-0-0 on
the ground.

Mission 671:

2 B-24s drop leaflets in the
Netherlands during the night.

HQ,
12th Bombardment Wing is inactivated at Marks Hall, England.

Acft T/O

Aborts

Over Pri

Over Sec

Over L/R

Bomb Load

Scoring

Losses

32

1

31

-

-

310x500lb GP

Unobserved

-

Group Mission # 178

THURSDAY, 12 OCTOBER 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

2 missions are flown.

Mission 674:

552 bombers and 514 fighters are dispatched to hit targets in Germany; they claim 18-3-1 aircraft; 3 bombers and 5 fighters are lost:

Weather prevents the 290 B-24s dispatched to hit the primaries at Vechta, Achmer, Rheine and Varrelbusch; PFF means were used to hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Osnabrück (267); 5 others hit Diepholz Airfield, a target of opportunity; 2 B-24s are lost and 67 damaged; 19 airmen are MIA. Escort is provided by 210 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 1-1-0 aircraft in the air.

2 of 9 B-17s make an APHRODITE attack on naval installations on Heligoland Island, Germany; 23 of 24 B-17s fly a cover mission to the same targets. Escort is provided by 15 of 16 P-51s and 2 P-38s without loss.

Mission 679:

5 B-17s and 4 B-24s fly a night leaflet mission over the Netherlands, France and Germany without loss.

430 B-24s are dispatched to hit a chemical plant at
Leverkusen but weather prevents the attack; targets of opportunity hit are the Cologne/Geron (231) and Cologne/Kalk (179) marshalling yards; 1 B-24 is damaged beyond
repair and 73 damaged. Escort is provided by 229 P-47s and P-51s.

Acft T/O

Aborts

Over Pri

Over Sec

Over L/R

Bomb Load

Scoring

Losses

36

2

34

-

-

200x500lb GP140x500lb IB

Unobserved

-

Group Mission # 183

WEDNESDAY, 18 OCTOBER
1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF
OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):

Mission 682:

567 bombers and 604 fighters are
dispatched to hit targets in Germany; 5 bombers and 5 fighters are lost:

337 B-17s are dispatched to make
a PFF attack on Kassel/Mittefeld (300); targets of opportunity are Cologne (1)
and other (2); 2 B-17s are lost; 1 airman is WIA and 18 MIA. Escort is provided
by 388 P-47s and P-51s; 4 P-51s are lost.

118 B-17s are dispatched to make
a GH attack on the Ford Plant at Cologne (79); 30 others hit Cologne/Nippes
marshalling yard; 22 B-17s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 2 WIA. Escort is
provided by 38 of 45 P-47s without loss.

112
B-24s are dispatched to make a GH attack on the industrial complex at
Leverkusen (39); 30 others hit the
Cologne/Nippes marshalling yard; 3 B-24s are lost and 26 damaged; 27 airmen are
MIA. Escort is provided by 139 of 146 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost.

Acft T/O

Aborts

Over Pri

Over Sec

Over L/R

Bomb Load

Scoring

Losses

10

-

10

-

-

100x500lb GP

Unobserved

-

Group Mission # 184

THURSDAY, 19 OCTOBER 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force):

2 missions are flown.

Mission 683:

1,022 bombers and 753 fighters attack targets in Germany using PFF or GH; 6 bombers and 2 fighters are lost:

HQ, 492nd Bombardment Group
(Heavy) and the 856th, 857th, 858th, and 859th Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy),
i.e., the CARPETBAGGER group assigned to HQ VIII Fighter Command, is
transferred to the 1st Bombardment Division to operate as a night bombing
group; only the 856th Squadron remains on CARPETBAGGER operations over the
Netherlands, Norway and Denmark under operational control of HQ Eighth AF; this
reduction of supply dropping forces results from the recapture of major
portions of France. The 859th Squadron is sent to Italy in Dec 44 and did not
return; the 857th and 858th started night bombing sorties on a limited scale in
Dec 44.

Mission 685:

1,131 bombers and 785 fighters
are dispatched on PFF attacks on targets in W Germany; 2 bombers and 1 fighter
are lost:

379 B-17s are dispatched to hit
military vehicle plants at Hannover/Hanomag (171) and Brunswick/Bussing (148);
targets of opportunity are Bielefeld (35) and other (6); 2 B-17s are lost, 2
damaged beyond repair and 15 damaged; 20 airmen are KIA, 3 WIA and 16 MIA.
Escort is provided by 379 P-47s and P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1
damaged beyond repair.

1,250 bombers and 522 fighters
are dispatched to hit oil and industrial targets in W Germany; 2 bombers and 1
fighter are lost; the first three forces use H2X while the 4th and 5th use GH:

455 B-17s are dispatched to hit
the Harburg (221) and Rhenania oil refineries (214) at Hamburg; 1 other hits a
target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 94 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. Escort
is provided by 129 of 139 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair.

225 B-24s are dispatched to hit Neumünster Airfield
(216); targets of opportunity are Münster (3) and Utersum (1); no losses.
Escort is provided by 41 of 42 P-51s without loss.

297 B-17s dispatched to hit the
primary hit secondaries, Harburg (179) and Rhenania oil refineries (106) at
Hamburg; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 16 damaged; 1
airman is WIA and 9 MIA. Escort is provided by 221 of 255 P-51s without loss.

131 B-17s are dispatched to hit
synthetic oil targets at Geilenkirchen/Nordstern (27); 100 others hit the
secondary, the marshalling yard at Hamm; 49 B-17s are damaged. Escort is
provided by 50 of 50 P-47s without loss.

142
B-24s are dispatched to hit synthetic oil targets at Scholven/Buer (91); 34 hit
the secondary at Münster and 1 hits Gronua; 39 B-24s are damaged. Escort is
provided by 34 of 36 P-47s without loss.

Acft T/O

Aborts

Over Pri

Over Sec

Over L/R

Bomb Load

Scoring

Losses

11

-

11

-

-

110x500lb GP

Unobserved

-

Group Mission # 187

WEDNESDAY, 25 OCTOBER
1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF
OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):

Mission 688:

1,250 bombers and 522 fighters
are dispatched to hit oil and industrial targets in W Germany; 2 bombers and 1
fighter are lost; the first three forces use H2X while the 4th and 5th use GH:

455 B-17s are dispatched to hit
the Harburg (221) and Rhenania oil refineries (214) at Hamburg; 1 other hits a
target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 94 damaged; 9 airmen are MIA. Escort
is provided by 129 of 139 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost and 1 damaged beyond repair.

225 B-24s are dispatched to hit Neumünster Airfield
(216); targets of opportunity are Münster (3) and Utersum (1); no losses.
Escort is provided by 41 of 42 P-51s without loss.

297 B-17s dispatched to hit the
primary hit secondaries, Harburg (179) and Rhenania oil refineries (106) at
Hamburg; 1 other hits a target of opportunity; 1 B-17 is lost and 16 damaged; 1
airman is WIA and 9 MIA. Escort is provided by 221 of 255 P-51s without loss.

131 B-17s are dispatched to hit
synthetic oil targets at Geilenkirchen/Nordstern (27); 100 others hit the
secondary, the marshalling yard at Hamm; 49 B-17s are damaged. Escort is
provided by 50 of 50 P-47s without loss.

142
B-24s are dispatched to hit synthetic oil targets at Scholven/Buer (91); 34 hit
the secondary at Münster and 1 hits Gronua; 39 B-24s are damaged. Escort is
provided by 34 of 36 P-47s without loss.

Acft T/O

Aborts

Over Pri

Over Sec

Over L/R

Bomb Load

Scoring

Losses

11

-

11

-

-

110x500lb GP

Unobserved

-

Group Mission # 188

THURSDAY, 26 OCTOBER 1944

EUROPEAN THEATER OF
OPERATIONS (ETO)

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Eighth Air Force):

Mission 689:

1,225 bombers and 674 fighters
make PFF attacks on industrial and communications targets in W Germany; 1 fighter
is lost:

430 B-17s are dispatched to
attack a storage depot at Bielefeld (155) and aircraft repair plant and Ludwig
marshalling yard at Munster (108); targets of opportunity are Munster (87),
Gutersloh (24) and other (1); 10 B-17s are damaged. Escort is provided by 204
of 215 P-51s; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA).

432 B-17s are dispatched to hit
the Hannover/Hanomag military vehicle plant (155); targets of opportunity are
Hannover (221), Bielefeld (36) and other (1); 2 B-17s are damaged beyond repair
and 14 damaged; 16 airmen are KIA, and 1 WIA. Escort is provided by 235 P-47s
and P-51s; 1 P-47 is damaged beyond repair.

242 of 246 B-24s hit the
aqueduct and Mittelland Canal at Minden; 5 B-24s are damaged. Escort is
provided by 128 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 2-0-0 Luftwaffe aircraft without
loss.